Dipper teeth



S p .1959 I T. A. RATKQWSKI 2,904,909

DIPPER' TEETH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 14, 1955 i I f fiomasdikaikowa'kz' A TTORN YS Sept. 22, 1959 T. A. RATKOWSKI 2,904,909

' DIPPER TEETH Filed July 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inven for 77mm as 4.Ha fko-uls'kl' United States Patent DIPPER TEETH Thomas A. Ratkowski,Chicago Heights, 111., assignor to American Brake Shoe Company, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 14, 1955, SerialNo. 522,051 6 Claims. (Cl. 37-9142) This invention relates to a dippertooth for excavating equipment or the like.

Dipper teeth which are projectably mounted on the lip of an excavatingshovel or the like are sometimes in the form of a hollow cap orso-called point of symmetrical construction removably mounted on anadapter, and the adapter includes a shank at the end opposite the end onwhich the cap is mounted for attachment to the excavating shovel. Thisconstruction enables the adapter to be repointed when the cap becomesunduly worn and moreover in those instances where but one edge of thecap at the digging point is unduly worn it is merely necessary toreverse the cap on the adapter to There have been various proposalsheretofore made with regard to the way in which the cap is to beretained on the adapter. Many of these proposals have entailedrelatively complicated structure with respect to which considerablediificulties are often encountered, and the primary object of thepresent invention is to enable a cap of the foregoing kind to beremovably retained on the adapter of a dipper tooth in a relativelyuncomplicated manner.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to removablyretain a cap of the foregoing kind on the adapter of the dipper toothmerely by means of a leaf spring readily insertable in registeredopenings in the cap and the adapter that afford a mounting sockettherefor, and to do this in such a Way that the spring acts along thecenter line of the cap and the adapter so that the cap is drawn up onthe adapter with forces equally distributed with respect to theaforesaid center line. In this manner, assurance is had that theretaining forces serving to draw the cap upon the adapter are notunbalanced, as has heretofore been objectionable with retainers of theprior art and which have accounted for uneven wear or shifting of thecap on the adapter during use of the dipper tooth.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims, and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferredembodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and whatI now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applyingthese principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the sameor equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be madeas desired by those skilled in the art Without departing from thepresent invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cap and adapter indisassembled relation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cap and adapter of Fig. l in assembledrelation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cap and adapter as shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view looking into the back of the cap;

expose the other edge.

ICC

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the cap and adapter indisassembled relation, the adapter being broken away in part;

Fig. 6 is horizontal sectional View similar to Fig. 5.;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines7--7, 8-8 and 9-9 of the Fig. 3; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the retainer spring.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figs.1, 2 and 3, as embodied in a dipper tooth 20 of the kind which includesa reversible cap 21 and a complemental adapter 22 on which the cap isremovably mounted. The adapter in this instance has projecting therefroma relatively long shank 23' and the end of this shank away from the bodyof the adapter includes an opening 24 formed therethrough enabling theadapter to be mounted on an excavating shovel or the like as is wellknown in the art, and the body of the adapter forwardof the shank 23includes spaced apart projecting flanges 22F which embrace. the lip ofthe shovel.

On the end of the adapter opposite the. shank 23:, the adapter is castwith a forwardly projecting V shaped' nose 22'N which includes opposite,upper and lower faces that are tapered to converge in a forwarddirection to afford a. rounded end 25 away from the, base of the noseThe cap 21 is complemental to the nose ZZN and thus includes upper andlower walls. 30. and, 31 which converge forwardly to afford a sharpdissin point whi h i relatively wide in nature as shown in Fig. 2.. Theupper and, lower faces. of the di ging P int in. th pre ent: instanc arf rm with a plurali y of spaced. part. V'- shaped, grooves 33V which.converge rearwardly, this construction being; in accordance'with myPrior" Patent No. 2,247,202.

The upper and lower W lls. 30 nd 1 of he cap are spaced apart by a pairof side walls 34 and 35, Fig. 4, and these side Walls are separated adistance corresponding to the width of the nose 2 2;N of; the adapter.The convergence forwardly of the upper and lower Walls 30 and 31 of thecap is complemental to the forward convergence of the upper an l werfaces of th nose. ZZN, and accordingly the socket thus afforded in thecap co nplemental to the nose 22N enables the cap to be mounted on thenose of the adapter as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this being a relativelytight fit.

Preferably, the base of the nose 22N on the adapter is peripherallyfilleted at 22F, and, the border of the cap 21 about the rear edgethereof is likewise filleted t 21F, Fig. 2. When the cap is firstmounted on the adapter, these filleted surfaces are in substantiallyspaced relation as shown in Fig. 2, and the rounded end 25 of the nose22N is spaced an equal distance rearwardly of the. complementallyrounded inner end 36 of the socket in the cap in which the nose 22N isadapted to fit. Such spacing enables the cap to take a firm set on theadapter as is well known.

Under the present invention, the cap is retained on the adapter by aleaf spring such as the leaf spring 40 illustrated in Fig. 10. To thisend, the adapter in the nose portion thereof is formed with an opening41, Fig. 1, extended vertically therethrough to open at theoppositeupper and lower faces of the nose 22N. The opening 41 includes a forwardwall 41F, Figs. 5 and 6, and a rear wall 41R which is afforded by a boss45 formed in the adapter to project in the direction of the forward wall41F of the recess 41. The boss 45 is of reduced dimension relative tothe thickness of the base portion of the nose 22N as shown in Fig. 5,afiording a pair of shallow upper and lower recesses 45U and 45Lrespectively in which lugs 21U and 21L at the rear of the cap areadapted to seat. Both the cap and the adapter are conventionally offerrous metal alloy casting of the usual kind, and thus the lugs 21Uand. 21Larc formed integrally 35 with the cap 21 medially of the lateralextent of the upper and lower walls 30 and 31. The lugs as thusafforded, when seated in the recesses 45U and 45L of the adapter serveto prevent lateral shifting of the cap relative to the adapter.

Openings 48 and 49, Fig. 4, are formed in the upper and lower walls ofthe tooth cap adjacent the rear end of the cap, and these openings areso located that when the cap is on the adapter as aforesaid, theopenings 48 and 49 register with the upper and lower ends of the opening41 in the nose of the adapter as shown in Fig. 3, and the openings thusin registry afford a mounting or retaining socket for the spring 49 aswill be described. It should here be pointed out that the forward sidesof the lugs 21U and 21L constitute in effect extensions of the rearsides of the openings 48 and 49 extending inwardly of the mountingsocket for the nose 22N in the cap as shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 3, the rear wall 41R of the opening 41 afforded by theforward side of the boss 45 is spaced rearwardly of the rear sides ofthe openings 48 and 49 in the upper and lower walls of the cap when thecap is on the adapter defining a recess or confining space R within thenose of the adapter which is bounded in part by portions of the lugs 21Uand 21L, and the forward wall 41F of the opening 41 under thiscircumstance is disposed somewhat rearwardly of the forward sides of theopenings 48 and 49. When the cap has thus been mounted on the adapter,the parts are then to be locked together by a substantially C-shapedleaf spring 40 as will now be described.

The leaf spring 40 is of relatively strong spring steel 'and isgenerally C-shaped in outline. The spring 40 includes an arcuate backportion which at the medial portion thereof is sharply curved to afforda projecting and rounded node portion 40N adapted to extend in thedirection of the boss 45 of the adapter as will be described. Theopposite ends of the spring 40 are curved inwardly at 40A and 408 in thedirection of the back of the spring, so that there is afforded a pair ofspaced apart forward curved portions 40C and 40D which are centeredopposite the node portion 40N of the spring, that is, the curvedportions 40C and 40D are bowed in a forward direction. Such enables thespring 40 to be readily driven through the opening 48 or 49 in the capto repose operatively in the opening 41 of the adapter.

Thus, when the cap has been mounted on the adapter as aforesaid with theopenings 48 and 49 in registry with the opening 41, to afford themounting socket for the retainer spring, the retainer spring 40 is thenpositioned above the opening in the upper wall of the cap in position tobe driven downwardly therethrough by a sharp impact, and it is for thisreason that the projecting portion 40N of the spring is provided. Thus,as the spring 40 is driven downwardly through the opening in the upperWall of the cap, the spring 4%] undergoes progressive compression untilthe projecting node portion 40N thereof passes downwardly beyond thelower end of the upper lug 21U at the rear of the cap 21, and as thisoccurs the spring 40 expands into the operative position shown in Fig. 3whereat the node portion 40N expands rearwardly beyond the verticalplane common to the rear sides of the aligned openings 48 and 49 in thecap 30 and the confining space R bounded by the lugs 21U and 21L, thuspreventing displacement of the spring from the socket therefor.

When the spring 40 has thus been operatively positioned in the mountingsocket therefor afforded by the registered openings in the walls of thecap and the nose of the adapter, the forward portion of the springcomprising the rounded end portions 46C and 49D is compressed againstthe forward wall 41F of the opening 41 in the nose of the adapter. Theexpanded and compressed states of the spring 40 are contrastinglyillustrated in Figs. 3 and 10 and it will further be observed that thespring 40 in operative position presses against the forward sides orfaces of the lugs 21U and ZElL at the portions of the spring that mergeinto the node portion 40N. In this connection, it will be appreciatedthat in those instances Where lugs as 21U and 21L are not provided forthe purpose mentioned above, the spring 40 in operative position willhave portions thereof bearing against either the rear sides or walls ofthe aligned openings as 48 and 49 in the cap 3t? or alternatively whatconstitute abutments of like order in the walls of the cap adjacent theopenings 48 and 49.

Under the present invention, the mounting socket for the retainer spring40 as afforded by the openings in the cap and the adapter that areregistered when the cap is on the adapter are formed so as to be at thelongitudinal center line of the dipper tooth, and as a consequence ofthis and the symmetry of the spring, the cap and the nose of theadapter, the retaining forces of the spring in operative position areequally distributed with respect to the center line of the dipper tooth.The cap is therefore pulled up evenly and uniformly on the nose of theadapter thereby assuring that no one portion of the cap is subjected toan unbalanced force.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodimentsof my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable ofvariation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited tothe precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchchanges and alterations as fall Within the purview of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A dipper tooth comprising, an adapter having a forwardly projectingnose portion defined by opposite faces that converge forwardly, aremovable wear cap having opposed spaced side walls and opposed upperand lower rearwardly diverging walls complemental to said nose of theadapter, an opening extended through the nose of the adaptersubstantially at the longitudinal center line thereof, a boss of reduceddimension formed within the nose of the adapter substantially at thelongitudinal center line of the adapter, spaced openings formed inopposed walls of the cap substantially at the longitudinal center linethereof and in registry with the open ends of the opening in the nose ofthe adapter so that the rear sides of said openings in the cap arespaced forwardly of the end of said boss within the nose of the adapter,and a symmetrical substantially C-shaped leaf spring reposed within saidopening in the adapter and being under compression'between solidportions of said cap adjacent the openings therein and the forward wallof said opening in the adapter with a node portion substantially at themedial portion of the spring expanded into the space that lies betweensaid end of the boss and the rear walls of the openings in said cap, tothereby hold the cap on the adapter with forces equally distributed withrespect to the longitudinal center line of the tooth.

2. A dipper tooth comprising, an adapter having a forwardly projectingnose portion defined by opposite faces that converge forwardly, aremovable Wear cap having upper and lower rearwardly diverging wallscomplemental to said nose of the adapter, a vertical opening extendedthrough the nose of the adapter substantially at the longitudinal centerline thereof, a boss of reduced dimension formed within the nose of theadapter, upper and lower openings formed in said walls of the capsubstantially at the longitudinal center line thereof in registry withthe open ends of the opening in the nose of the adapter, said openingsin the cap having front and rear sides with the rear sides of saidopenings in the cap spaced forwardly of the end of said boss within thenose of the adapter, and a substantially C-shaped leaf spring reposedWithin said opening in the adapter under compression between portions ofsaid cap adjacent the openings therein and the forward wall of saidopening in the adapter with a convex portion of the spring expanded intothe space that lies between said end of the boss and the rear walls ofthe openings in said cap.

3. A dipper tooth comprising, an adapter having a forwardly projectingnose portion defined by opposite faces that converge forwardly, aremovable wear cap having upper and lower reanwardly diverging wallscomplemental to said nose of the adapter, a vertical opening extendedthrough the nose of the adapter substantially at the longitudinal centerline thereof and being defined at least in part by front and rear wallswithin the nose of the adapter, upper and lower openings formed in saidwalls of the cap substantially at the longitudinal center line thereofand in registry with the open ends of the opening in the nose of theadapter, said upper and lower openings each having rear sides disposedforwardly of the rear wall defining in part the vertical opening in theadapter, and a leaf spring reposed within said opening in the adapterand being under compression between solid portions of said cap adjacentthe openings therein and the forward wall of said opening in the adapterwith a projecting portion of the spring expanded into the space betweenthe rear sides of the upper and lower openings in said cap and the rearwall of the vertical opening in said adapter to prevent inadvertentdisplacement of said spring from the opening in the adapter and tothereby hold the cap on the adapter with forces equally distributed withrespect to the longitudinal center line of the tooth.

4. A dipper tooth comprising, an adapter having a forwardly projectingnose portion defined by opposite faces that converge forwardly, aremovable wear cap having opposed spaced side walls and opposed upperand lower rearwardly diverging walls complemental to said nose of theadapter, the nose of the adapter having an opening extended therethroughsubstantially at the longitudinal center line thereof, a boss of reduceddimension formed within the nose of the adapter substantially at thelongitudinal center line of the adapter, opposed walls of the cap eachhaving an opening therein substantially at the longitudinal center linethereof and in registry with the open ends of the opening in the nose ofthe adapter so that the rear sides of said openings in the cap arespaced forwardly of the end of said boss within the nose of the adapter,and a symmetrical substantially C-shaped leaf spring reposed within saidopening in the adapter and being under compression between solidportions of said cap adjacent the openings therein and the forward wallof said opening in the adapter with a node portion substantially at themedial portion of the spring expanded into the space that lies betweensaid end of the boss and the rear walls of the openings in said cap, tothereby hold the cap on the adapter with forces equally distributed withrespect to the longitudinal center line of the tooth.

5. A dipper tooth comprising, an adapter having a forwardly projectingnose portion defined by opposite faces that converge forwardly, aremovable wear cap having upper and lower rearwardly diverging wallscomplemental to said nose of the adapter, the nose of the adapter havinga vertical opening therein substantially at the longitudinal center linethereof and being defined at least in part by front and rear wallswithin the nose of the adapter, said 'walls of the cap each having anopening therein substantially at the longitudinal center line thereofand in registry with the open ends of the opening in the nose of theadapter, said openings in the cap each having a rear side disposedforwardly of the rear Wall defining in part the vertical opening in theadapter, and a leaf spring reposed within said opening in the adapterand being under compression between solid portions of said cap adjacentthe openings therein and the forward wall of said opening in the adapterwith a projecting portion of the spring expanded into the space betweenthe rear sides of the upper and lower openings in said cap and the rearwall of the vertical opening in said adapter to prevent inadvertentdisplacement of said spring from the opening in the adapter and tothereby hold the cap on the adapter with forces equally distributed withrespect to the longitudinal center line of the tooth.

6. A dipper tooth comprising, an adapter having a forwardly projectingnose portion defined by opposite faces that converge folwardly, aremovable wear cap having upper and lower rearwardly diverging wallscomplemental to said nose of the adapter, the nose of the adapter havinga vertical opening extended therethrough substantially at thelongitudinal center line thereof, a boss of reduced dimension formedwithin the nose of the adapter, said walls of the cap each having anopening substantially at the longitudinal center line thereof inregistry with the open ends of the opening in the nose of the adapter,said openings in the cap having front and rear sides with the rear sidesof said openings in the cap spaced forwardly of the end of said bosswithin the nose of the adapter, and a substantially C-shaped leaf springreposed within said opening in the adapter under compression betweenportions of said cap adjacent the openings therein and the forward wallof said opening in the adapter with a convex portion of the springexpanded into the space that lies between said end of the boss and therear walls of the openings in said cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS796,798 Blaine Aug. 8, 1905 1,247,043 Warne Nov. 20, 1917 2,129,420 GuySept. 6, 1938 2,251,169 Seal July 29, 1941 2,325,991 White Aug. 3, 19432,427,651 Baer Sept. 23, 1947 2,483,032 Baer Sept. 27, 1949 2,568,075Launder Sept. 18, 1951 2,702,490 Launder Feb. 22, 1955

